Wheel structure



De. 8, 1942. L 2,304,584

. WHEEL STRUCTURE Filed Jan. 21, 1941 Y Paten ted Dec. 8, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE -2,304,584 I WHEEL STRUCTURE George Albert Lyon, Allenhurst, N. J. Application January 21, 1941, Serial No. 315,173

3 Claims.

The present invention relates to a wheel structure, and more particularly to a novel means for retaining a wheel cover me ber either in the form of a disk or an annulus o the wheel.

An object of this invention is to provide a wheel structure wherein a depressed tire bead retaining portion of the wheel rim part may be utilized in the retention ofa cover member on the wheel.

Another object of this invention is toprovide improved spring retaining means for detachably and resiliently holding a wheel cover on an automobile wheei. l

Still another object of this invention is to vprovide a cover with resilient retaining means of such construction that it will readily cooperate with a depressed tire bead retaining portion formed in the tire rim of a wheel.

In accordance with the general features of this invention, there is provided in a wheel structure including a body part and a multi-Lfianged drop center rim part, which includes an outer axially extending fiange having a hump, a circular cover member having a rolled outer edge and having fastened to its outer marginal portion resilient retaining means positioned with their free extremities to the rear of the rolled edge and having their extremities slightly raised for yieldable snap-on cooperation with the hump in the tire rim.

In accordancewith other features of this invention, I provide a wheel cover having its outer edge rolled in such a manner that the resilient retaining fingers may be fixedly secured to the cover by means of the rolled or turned edge.

Other objects and features of this invention will more fully appear from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing which illustrates several embodiments thereof, and in which:

Figure l is a front view of a wheel structure embodying the features of the invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary cross sectional view taken on the line II II of Figure 1 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows; and

Figure 3 is a fragmentary detailed view of the spring fingers taken on the line IIIIII of Figure 2 looking downwardly.

As shown on the drawing:

The reference character I designates generally a multi-flanged drop center type of tire rim which comprises one part of the illustrated wheel. This tire rim part includes a base flange ll fastened by any suitable means to a central wheel body part or spider which is of convexconcave cross section and includes the usual central bolt-on flange l3 by means of which the wheel may be suitably fastened to a support or shaft assembly, The tire rim part In has one of its axially extending outer flanges provided with a depression which extends radially inwardly and as a consequence provides an annular 'hump or protuberance l4.

Each rim part is provided with two of these annular depressions, as shown in Figure 2, one on each side of the base flange, and spaced apart so as to have seated in them the tire bead of the tire disposed in the tire rim part. The purpose of these depressions, as is now known in the art, is to prevent sidewi'se shifting of the tire bead upon sudden rupture or deflation of the automobile tire.

It is an object of this invention to utilize one of these depressed sections or humps l4, namely, the outermost one when the wheel is mounted, as a means for aiding in the retention of a wheel cover member, designated generally by the reference character I 5, on the wheel. The wheel cover member [5 may be made in the form of a solid disk or hub cap, as is shown in Figure 2, or may be in the form of an annulus.

The cover member is preferably stamped from relatively thin sheet metal such as stainless steel or the like and, of course, may be suitably ornamerited as desired. Such a cover member may, for example, be made from sheet metal having a thickness of .020".

In the form of cover member illustrated in section in Figure 2 the cover member has a cross sectional shape conforming generally to the outer cross sectional configuration of the rim and body parts of the wheel. At its outer periphery, the cover member is provided with a rolled or turned edge l6 inside of which are retained a plurality of spring clips or fingers l1. These clips are illustrated in plan in Figure 3. Each of them includes an eyelet end l9 interlocked with the head It, which is rolled around theeyelet or sleeve end, and a free slightly humped end l9 adapted to resiliently embrace the rear side of the hump l4 when the cover is pressed home into retaining cooperation with the wheel. The free bent ends IQ of the series of spring fingers or clips are all arranged in a common circle which normally is of a diameter slightly in excess of the inside diameter of the hump l4, so that these fingers must be deflected radially inwardly as they are passed over the hump it. Even when the fingers are in retaining cooperation, they are still not in their normal position but are slightly deflected inwardly and as a consequence are under tension and a resilient cover retaining pressure to the pp y rear side of the hump M.

In the illustrated form of my invention the cover is easily applied to the wheel by merely pressing it axially into the position shown in Figure 2. at which time the retaining means are in cooperation with the rear side of the hump ll of the tire rim part In. To remove the cover all that is necessary to do is to insert a pry-oi! tool or screwdriver under the. outer rolled edge and to then exert a fulcrumed pry-oi! pressure against the cover; the fulcrum for the pry-oi! tool being the rim part itself.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a wheel structure, a wheel including a body and a multi-flanged drop center rim part, said rim part including an outer axially extending flange provided with a hump, and a metallic circular cover member having an inwardly turned marginal portion provided with spaced retaining fingers extending rearwardly therefrom, each of the fingers being flexible to pass over and into cover retaining cooperation with the rim part at the rear side of the hump and having a turned end for fastening to the cover member, said cover member having its outer peripheral edge rolled and interlocked with the turned end of each of said fingers for fastening the fingers to the cover member.

2. In a wheel structure, a wheel including a body and a multi-fianged drop center rim part, said rim part including an outer generally axially extending flange having a tire bead receiving depressed section which provides a radially inward- 1y extending hump, and a metallic circular cover member having its outer peripheral portion provided at spaced intervals with rearwardly extending retaining fingers having contact portions for retaining engagement with the rear side of the hump, said contact portions arranged in a circle of a diameter slightly in excess of that or the inner surface of said hump so as to require flexing oi the flngers in order for them to pass over the hump and whereby the flngers are under stress when they are in engagement with the rim part, said cover member having its outer edge rolled to reinforce the same at the point of application of a pry-ofl force and said flngers being secured to the outer portion or the cover member solely by said rolled 'outer edge and-having free extremities positioned directly to the rear of said rolled edge.

3. As an article of manufacture, a wheel cover member made of sheet metal and having an outer rolled edge and having interlocked with its edge a plurality of circumferentially spaced rearwardly extending cover retaining fingers, each of said fingers having a free end humped radially outwardly and in a circle of a diameter slightly in excess of the diameter of the surface of the wheel to be engaged by the fingers so as to require flexure of the fingers in order for them to be moved into retaining cooperation with the wheel as the cover member is pressed home on the wheel, and each of said flngers also having an end formed into an eyelet about which said outer edge is rolled to interlock the cover member therewith.

GEORGE ALBERT LYON.

being normally 

